A FEDERAL JURY CONVICTED A FORMER NEBRASKA BUSINESSMAN ON TUESDAY OF HIRING AN ACQUAINTANCE TO BURN DOWN HIS TROUBLED MANUFACTURING BUSINESS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN $4 MILLION IN INSURANCE MONEY
February
3, 2015
Omaha,
Nebraska, USA
A
federal jury convicted a former businessman on Tuesday of hiring an acquaintance
to burn down his troubled manufacturing business in an attempt to gain $4
million in insurance money.
After
a day and a half of deliberation, the jury found Thomas Schropp, 53, guilty of
six criminal charges including arson and mail and wire fraud.
Schropp faces a mandatory minimum
federal prison sentence of 15 years for the arson conviction and up to 20 years
in prison for the mail and wire fraud convictions.
Schropp
plans to appeal the jury’s verdict, said Alan Stoler, Schropp’s defense
attorney.
Assistant
U.S. Attorney Russ Mayer said Schropp had plenty of financial motive to want
his agricultural sprayers business gone. The federal government presented
evidence that PK Manufacturing had mounting debt, about $ 5 million, that
Schropp couldn’t pay.
The
prosecution said that’s why PK Manufacturing was intentionally set on fire on
the morning of Nov. 20, 2008, by one of Schropp’s associates.
William
“Billy” Richards testified Schropp asked him to burn down his building for
$20,000. Richards claimed he set multiple fires at the manufacturing facility.
He has pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of a building by fire and is
facing seven to 9½ years in prison.
Schropp
filed a claim with his insurance company for about $4 million after PK
Manufacturing was destroyed by the fire. The insurance company denied his
claim.
Schropp
is scheduled to be sentenced May 1.
//__________________________________________________________//
Arson Trial Begins over 2008 Fire at Nebraska Plant
January
22, 2015
A
federal trial has begun for an Omaha, Neb., businessman accused of paying
someone more than six years ago to set fire to his manufacturing plant in
eastern Nebraska.
A
prosecutor said in his opening statement on Jan. 20 that Thomas Schropp hoped
to gain around $4 million in insurance proceeds for the destruction of his PK
Manufacturing plant near Fort Calhoun.
Defense
attorney Alan Stoler said the government can’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that Schropp was involved with the Nov. 20, 2008, blaze.
Schropp’s
business was ailing, having lost its largest customer in late 2007, the
prosecutor said.
“PK
Manufacturing was in the financial dumpster in November 2008,” Mayer said,
adding that Schropp owed nearly $5 million to banks at that time. Schropp
co-owned the business with his uncle.
Mayer
said Schropp promised a painter, Billy Richards, $20,000 if he’d torch the
plant, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Richards
has since pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of a building. He’s expected
to testify against Schropp, as is Richards’ live-in girlfriend at the time,
Julie Winkelbauer. She has said she drove Richards to PK Manufacturing the
night of the fire and that she received some of the $8,000 Richards got from
Schropp. Mayer said Schropp never paid Richards the remaining $12,000.
Schropp’s
attorney said Richards is hoping to receive a reduced sentence in exchange for
his testimony. Winkelbauer agreed to testify only if the government would not
prosecute her.
//_____________________________________________//
Explosive Blaze Challenges Nebraska Firefighters
Story
by ketv.com On Nov 21, 2008
OMAHA,
Neb. --
Ten
firefighting agencies were called to a large building fire in the unincorporated
town of Nashville, Neb., south of Fort Calhoun around 4 a.m. Thursday.
Flames
could be seen from three miles away as firefighters worked to subdue an intense
blaze that was fed by exploding oxygen and propane tanks.
Nashville
Fire Chief Mike Smith said his team essentially surrendered the P-K
Manufacturing plant's north side to the fire and focused on protecting the
south side.
The
company makes agricultural spraying equipment, garden sprayers and custom steel
products. Several explosions from propane and oxyacetylene tanks rocked the
85,000-square-foot building.
Fire
officials said the biggest challenge in battling the blaze was the water
supply. The nearest hydrant was more than five miles away. Tankers from several
nearby fire departments were used to truck in water.
Investigators
said about 30 percent of the building was not damaged, leaving its owner, Tom
Schropp, somewhat optimistic about the future.
"Hopefully,
we can salvage a piece of it and start moving forward," Schropp said.
Investigators
have not determined a cause for the fire.
There
were no injuries.